1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for entering data of a sensitive nature in a secure manner, and in particular to a method and apparatus for entering data at a computer terminal or other device to avoid detection of the data being entered.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that secure data, such as credit card information or username and password information, is vulnerable to theft. Key logger programs can be surreptitiously placed on a computer system into which such information is entered. Such key logger programs are programmed to capture keyboard entries as keystrokes and store the keystroke information in a hidden file on the system. Based on some triggering event, such as an external inquiry or the expiration of a timer, the contents of the hidden file are transferred to a remote location where it can be analyzed.
Although such data simply represents un-delineated keystrokes, the data collected by the key logger program can be analyzed with sophisticated tools and the secure data can be extracted. Thus, the presence of a key logger program or other similar program on a system can result in a compromise in the security of the computer system, or a disclosure of credit card information, bank account information, or other sensitive data of a secure nature.